Team BDS left the stage talking less about what went wrong and more about what’s next. The loss to G2 tightens the route through the LEC playoffs, but the message from Mehdi “Boukada” Lahlou and BDS was simple: Worlds or bust.
“Our goal is to make Worlds at minimum. Anything else would be a disappointment for all of us.”
The tone wasn’t false confidence. It came tied to a read on performance that BDS believe will travel into a playoff bracket. The staff will point to stretches of good League and a plan to turn those stretches into wins.
“Here we showed that both games were winnable—I’d even say game one we should have won. So there are a lot of positives to take into playoffs.”
Looking ahead
No hedging on objectives, no ambiguity on the path. BDS are treating the next two weeks like a condensed postseason buildup: hit the immediate checkpoint, then climb into seeding.
“We have to win against Heretics, and then we have to make top three. That’s the objective. From day one we knew that’s the goal and we work for it. However we look or play along the way doesn’t change the objective.”
That clarity also shapes the week-to-week process. There’s no special playbook for marquee names, only a higher standard on execution. No matter who you face in the playoffs, you have to perform.
“It’s only a few weeks before playoffs. We need to use our time efficiently, get better fast at a lot of things, and if we manage that, I’m confident we’ll beat those [top] teams.”
Urgency in a new format
The current LEC structure leaves little margin for new rosters, which is why BDS keep coming back to speed of improvement. The best example we’ve seen of this is NaVi who are already eliminated from playoff contention after just 3 of their 4 series.
“Personally, I’m not so fond of it; it’s too rushed. Teams don’t have as much time as in other splits to really improve and play properly.”
With the target set at top three, who they play is secondary. BDS aren’t shopping for opponents; they’re trying to make their game airtight enough that the matchup matters less than the execution. While we tried to get Boukada to tell us his favored opponent he was too pragmatic.
“If we want to make top three, I shouldn’t even have an answer—we need to beat any team. Whoever we face, we need to be good and be able to win if we want to make Worlds. So I don’t have a name to give you.”
A new roster
There’s also an internal reason for the belief. This new-look BDS has found pieces that can lift the ceiling in Boukada himself, but also the teams new toplaner Shin “Rooster” Yun-hwan. The Korean played in the LCK Challengers League previously for Hanwha Life Esports Challengers.
“Rooster is just an insane player. On carry champions he’s actually so good. Even on tanks, like the first week of scrims I was shocked. I thought he was just really good at carries, but he can play anything.”
BDS now have just one game left: against Team Heretics this weekend. And while they’re not qualified for the playoffs yet, they have the head-to-head against SK, who will match up against G2, while BDS themselves play against a 0-3 Team Heretics.
Watch the full interview with Boukada where we talk about playoffs, communication with Rooster and their match vs G2.
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